Service provided by a single entity for all applications

Abstract

Provided is a system that enables a computer user to purchase and maintain installed operating systems and applications. Also provided is a method and system that detects and installs updates to programs and operating systems (OSs) on a computing system and ensures that the upgrades are compatible with existing software. A method is provided wherein a computer environment is scanned for all installed software and supporting files and logic such as libraries and OSs. A detected configuration is transmitted to a service provider who generates a service and support plan. The plan is offered to the administrator of the computer environment as an alternative to vendor-supplied plans. Thus, an administrator of a particular computing environment is able to centralize the maintenance and upgrade of installed software. The claimed technology provides access to a single-source pricing and support structure and enables the service provider to negotiate and purchase bulk upgrade packages.

1 . A method for providing support to a computer user, comprising:
 scanning a computing system to determine a computing system configuration;   generating an inventory of applications on the computing system based upon the scanning;   creating a service and support bid for remotely maintaining the computing system based upon the inventory and the configuration; and   providing support to the user of the computing system based upon the bid.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing system configuration includes information from a list comprising:
 library files;   operating system; and   installed software.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , providing support comprising:
 detecting conflicts between applications; and   resolving the detected conflicts between applications.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , providing support comprising:
 detecting an update corresponding to an application listed on the inventory;   determining potential conflicts between the update and non-corresponding applications on the inventory;   resolving the potential conflicts; and   implementing the updates on the computing system.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , providing support comprising modifying applications associated with unrelated software providers to redirect support requests and help queries to a single remote service center corresponding to the support provider rather than to a software provider of the unrelated software providers. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , providing support comprising:
 monitoring software providers corresponding to applications listed in the inventory for upgrades to the applications;   notifying the user of the computing system of a detected upgrade; and   installing the detected upgrade on the computing system.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 grouping a plurality of supported users corresponding to a plurality of computing systems into a pricing group;   negotiating a bulk upgrade price for an application associated with multiple users of the plurality of supported users; and   pricing an upgrade of the application associated with multiple users based upon the bulk upgrade price rather than an individual upgrade price.   
   
   
       8 . A system for providing support to a computer user, comprising:
 a service computing system for implementing the system;   logic, executed on the service computing system, for querying a computing system corresponding to a user to determine a computing system configuration for the user's computing system;   logic, executed on the service computing system, generating an inventory of applications on the user's computing system based upon the query;   logic, executed on the service computing system, creating a service and support bid for remotely maintaining the user's computing system based upon the inventory and the configuration; and   logic, executed on the service computing system, providing support for the user's computing system based upon the bid.   
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , the computing system configuration information comprising:
 library file information;   operating system information; and   installed software information.   
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 8 , the logic for providing support comprising:
 logic for detecting conflicts between applications; and   logic for resolving the detected conflicts between applications.   
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 8 , the logic for providing support comprising:
 logic for detecting an update corresponding to an application listed on the inventory;   logic for determining potential conflicts between the update and non-corresponding applications on the inventory;   logic for resolving the potential conflicts; and   logic for implementing the updates on the user's computing system.   
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 8 , the logic for providing support comprising logic for modifying applications associated with unrelated software providers to redirect support requests and help queries to a single remote service center corresponding to the support provider rather than to a software provider of the unrelated software providers. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 8 , the logic for providing support comprising:
 logic for monitoring software providers corresponding to applications listed in the inventory for upgrades to the applications;   logic for notifying the user's computing system of a detected upgrade; and   logic for installing the detected upgrade on the user's computing system.   
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 logic, executed on the service computing system, for grouping a plurality of supported users corresponding to a plurality of user computing systems into a pricing group;   negotiating a bulk upgrade price for an application associated with multiple users of the plurality of supported users; and   pricing an upgrade of the application associated with multiple users based upon the bulk upgrade price rather than an individual upgrade price.   
   
   
       15 . A computer programming product for providing support to a computer user, comprising:
 a memory;   logic, stored on the memory, for scanning a computing system to determine a computing system configuration;   logic, stored on the memory, for generating an inventory of applications on the computing system based upon the scanning;   logic, stored on the memory, for creating a service and support bid for remotely maintaining the computing system based upon the inventory and the configuration; and   logic, stored on the memory, for providing support to the user of the computing system based upon the bid.   
   
   
       16 . The computer programming product of  claim 15 , wherein the computing system configuration includes information from a list comprising:
 library files;   operating system; and   installed software.   
   
   
       17 . The computer programming product of  claim 15 , the logic for providing support comprising:
 logic for detecting conflicts between applications; and   logic for resolving the detected conflicts between applications.   
   
   
       18 . The computer programming product of  claim 15 , the logic for providing support comprising:
 logic for detecting an update corresponding to an application listed on the inventory;   logic for determining potential conflicts between the update and non-corresponding applications on the inventory;   logic for resolving the potential conflicts; and   logic for implementing the updates on the computing system.   
   
   
       19 . The computer programming product of  claim 15 , the logic for providing support comprising logic for modifying applications associated with unrelated software providers to redirect support requests and help queries to a single remote service center corresponding to the support provider rather than to a software provider of the unrelated software providers. 
   
   
       20 . The computer programming product of  claim 15 , the logic for providing support comprising:
 logic for monitoring software providers corresponding to applications listed in the inventory for upgrades to the applications;   logic for notifying the user of the computing system of a detected upgrade; and   logic for installing the detected upgrade on the computing system.